How to Tackle DIY Fear Factor

‘DIY worry issue’ is that hesitancy to roll up your sleeves and do a simple restore, upkeep or craft undertaking your self.

It is OK if no one ‘taught’ you sort out a DIY paint job — we imagine in you!

Chances are you’ll simply want just a few pointers that can assist you perceive the correct instruments and strategies for the duty. We have requested skilled painter Mark O’Connor to share his prime tricks to a profitable DIY paint job.

Get high quality brushes

When you assume you do not know paint since you’ve carried out it earlier than and it did not prove as you needed, the issue may have been poor high quality brushes and rollers.

For knowledgeable look and end, Mark advises buying brushes that precise painters would use, such because the vary from Monarch.

“They not solely give a way more skilled easy end, however they maintain their form which makes them a lot simpler to make use of, they decide up and launch extra paint giving higher protection — and so they truly prevent time,” he explains.

Learn to load a paint brush

There’s a correct strategy to load a paint brush or curler — and Mark has the skilled scoop.

“You solely have to dip your brush into paint a few third of the way in which up the filament,” he says. “When you dip your brush into paint the entire size of the hairs, you might be losing paint and inflicting the highest half of the comb to easily dry out.”

After the comb is loaded, Mark stresses to faucet — not wipe — the comb towards the perimeters of the paint tin.

For rollers, do not submerge the whole curler within the nicely of the paint tray, Mark says.

“When you do that, the ends of the curler get coated in paint and the curler will splatter paint in every single place whenever you roll,” he explains.

“To load it correctly, begin together with your curler on the ‘grill’ of the tray. Roll it down the grill till it touches the paint and begins to load. Then roll it time and again, touching the paint, till all of the curler has paint on it.

“Roll it up and down the grill of the tray a number of occasions to evenly unfold paint round your curler. Now you might be prepared to color correctly!”

There’s a little bit of prep concerned in a DIY paint undertaking. Mark had just a few tricks to get the job off to a great begin.

One other tip from Mark is to make sure your brushes and rollers are moist earlier than you begin. This helps them pick-up and launch paint correctly.

“Soak your brush in an inch of water for quarter-hour earlier than utilizing, then shake or spin out extra water,” he says.

“Wash your curler beneath a faucet for 2 minutes, working your hand across the curler, then squeeze and shake out the surplus moisture. You possibly can even put the curler on a curler body and ‘spin’ it a number of occasions down a wall or a door to take away all extra moisture.”

The pigment of your paint might be erratically blended in your tin. Make sure you give it a correct stir with a stirring stick earlier than you begin portray so you do not find yourself with an uneven paint job.

No matter you are portray, whether or not it is partitions or furnishings, make sure the floor is clear earlier than you begin.

For example, in the event you do not wash your partitions — and allow them to dry — correctly earlier than portray, you are simply going to be portray mud and particles into your paint job.

Maintain it easy

If it is your first DIY paint job, maybe preserve it easy and keep away from advanced patterns or a couple of color.

“Utilizing one color on all surfaces permits you to use the identical paint product for the primary coat — at the very least — on all surfaces, ceilings, partitions and trims,” Mark begins.

“Then, you solely want a particular trim paint to complete off trims and, being the identical color as your ceilings and partitions, it’s a lot simpler and faster to complete the trims completely.

“You additionally don’t want to make use of masking tape to guard surfaces you don’t need paint on as a result of all surfaces are being painted with the identical paint and identical color.”

Not having to masks sure areas will prevent worthwhile time on the job!

All photos equipped by Monarch.